An action-comedy that is largely uneven and less funny than what it promises, chiefly due to the lack of chemistry between its cast

In 30 Minutes Or Less, two wannabe criminals (Danny McBride and Nick Swardson) kidnap a pizza delivery guy (Jesse Eisenberg, in his usual fast-talking, neurotic mode) strap him with a bomb and force him to rob a bank. The guy enlists the help of his friend (stand-up comedian-turned-actor Aziz Ansari), whose sister he’s hitting on, and the complications that ensue form the rest of the plot. With Zombieland, director Ruben Fleischer showed that he could deliver a smart genre-skewing comedy and he tries to do the same with 30 Minutes Or Less only with less success. While that former was a zombie horror-comedy that, though not groundbreaking (Shaun Of The Dead got there first), was hugely entertaining, this one, an action-comedy, is largely uneven and less funny than what it promises. The major blame should fall on the cast (especially Ansari and McBride), who never exhibit the chemistry that is needed to fire the laughs. Ansari is so conscious of the camera that his timing is woefully wrong and most of the jokes fall flat. And, McBride is loud, juvenile and so full of himself. Thankfully, Fleischer maintains a light touch that doesn’t let things turn dreary and helps you just coast through. The special features include deleted scenes, outtakes and a featurette with the cast and crew which strangely shows their camaraderie on the set. That this chemistry never spills on to the screen is a pity.